Lieutenant, 6th Jat Light Infantry. Died 7th January 1916. Aged 24. Awarded the Military Medal. No known grave. Commemorated on BASRA MEMORIAL, Iraq. Panel 50.

Extract from du Ruvigny's Roll of Honour:

COCKBURN, CHARLES JAMES, Lieut., 6th Jats L.I., Indian Army, yr. s. of the late Major Charles James Cockburn, Royal Warwickshire Regt., by his wife, Kate Alice, (Bagshot, Surrey), dau. of the late John Waterer; b. Malta, 27 March, 1891; educ. Wellington College; gazetted 2nd Lieut., 3 Sept. 1910; was attd. to the Berkshire Regt. in India, and was transferred to the Indian Army, 29 Oct. 1911, and promoted Lieut. 3 Dec. 1912. He served in France with the Moorut Division, and afterwards in Mesopotamia, and was killed in action in general Aylmer's Relief Force, 7 Jan. 1916. Lieut. Cockburn was amongst the first to receive the Military Cross. He m. at Cobham, Kent, 16 July, 1915. Helen, dau. of Laman Herbert Evans; s.p. his elder brother, Lieut. J. Cockburn, was killed in action, 25 April, 1915.

Second Lieutenant, 1st Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Killed in action 25th April 1915. No known grave. Commemorated on YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 8.

Extract from du Ruvigny's Roll of Honour:

COCKBURN, John, 2nd Lieut., 1st Battn. Royal Warwickshire Regt., elder s. of the late Major Charles James Cockburn, Royal Warwickshire Regt., by his wife, Kate Alice, (Bagshot, Surrey), dau. of the late John Waterey, of Bagshot; b. Malta, 3 March 1800; educ. Wellington College. On the outbreak of war volunteered as a Desptach Rider, and was given a commission as 2nd. Lieut. in his father's old regt. 2 March 1915. He was killed while leasding his men into action at St. Julien, near Ypres; unm.

Major, 1st Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment. Died of wounds 20th May 1915. Aged 42. Born 17 September 1872. Son of Hugh Cowie, Q.C., J.P.; husband of Victoria Alexandrina (nee Elphinstone) Cowie, of Varhn, Studland, Dorset, married 28 September 1898 at Bagshot three children, Norma born 10 July 1899, Howard Elphinstone born 10 October 1901 and John Victor born 25 February 1904. Educated Charterhouse. Awarded the Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.) and C.M.G. Height 5 feet 9 inches. In the 1881 census he was aged 8, born Arrochar, Dunbartonshire, Scotland, a scholar, son of Hugh and Septima Cowie, resident Ewell Road, Strathyham, Kingston, Surrey. Buried 24th May 1915 at the south-east corner of the church in ST. LAWRENCE CHURCHYARD, WEST WOODHAY, Berkshire. Also listed on Charterhouse School Memorial

From the Charterhouse School Register, Oration Quarter 1886:

Extract from The Distinguished Service Order 1886-1915:

COWIE, HUGH NORMAN RAMSAY, Capt., was born at Arrochar, N.B., 17 Sept. 1872, son of Hugh Cowie, Q.C., J.P. He was educated at Charterhouse and Sandhurst, and joined the Dorsetshire Regt. 18 May, 1892, becoming Lieutenant 28 Aug. 1894. He served in the Tirah Expedition in 1897-98, being present at the actions of Chagra Kotal and Dargai, and the capture of Sampagha and Arhanga Passes. Reconnaissance of the Saran Sar and action of 16 Nov. 1897. Operations in the Waran Valley and action of 16 Nov. 1897. Operations in the Bara Valley 7 to 14 Dec. 1897 (Medal with two clasps). He served in the South African War, 1899-1900; operations in Natal, 1899, including operations at Elandslaagte, Rietfontein and Lombard's hop. In the Defence of Ladysmith, including the sortie of 7 Dec. 1899, and action of 6 Jan. 1900; operations in the Transvaal, east of Pretoria, July to 29 Nov. 1900, including actions of Belfast (26 and 27 Aug.) and Lydenberg 5 to 8 Sept. He was mentioned in Despatches (Sir R. H. Buller, 13 Sept. and 9 Nov. 1900 [London Gazette, 8 Feb. 1901]) : received the Queen's Medal with three clasps, and was created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order [London Gazette, 19 April, 1901]: "Hugh Norman Ramsay Cowie, Capt., Dorsetshire Regt. In recognition of services during the operations in South Africa." The Insignia, etc., were sent to the Commander-in-Chief in South Africa, and presented by the Duke of Cornwall and York 14 Aug. 1901. He had become Captain 13 June, 1900. From 5 June, 1901, to 17 Feb. 1904, he was Adjutant, Volunteers, and he was Adjutant, Dorsetshire Regt. from 9 Sept. 1904, to 22 Jan. 1903, when he went to the Staff College. He was D.A.Q.M.G., Headquarters, South Africa, 20 April, 1907, to 1909; from 1909 to 1911 a Staff Captain at the War Office, and from 1912-14 Commander of a Company of Gentlemen Cadets at Sandhurst,. In 1914 he was appointed Commandant of the 1st School of Instruction in France. He was created a C.M.G. Major Cowie died on 20 May, 1915, of wounds received whilst in command of the 1st Battn. of his Regiment. He had married, in 1898, Victoria Alexandrina, eldest daughter of the late Sir Howard Elphinstone, K.C.B., C.M.G.

Extract from England & Wales Government Probate Death Index 1915:

COWIE Hugh Norman Ramsay of the Royal Military College Sandhurst Berkshire major His Majesty's Dorset Regiment C.M.G. D.S.O. died 20 May 1915 at King Edward VII. Hospital 9 Grosvenor-gardens Middlesex from wounds received on active service in France Administration London 3 September to Victoria Alexandrina Cowie widow. Effects £303 14s. 4d.

Lieutenant (Adjutant), 1st Battalion, Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire Regiment). Killed in action 10th September 1914. Aged 29. Son of Major-General Sir T. Perrott, K.C.B. Buried in OULCHY-LE-CHATEAU CHURCHYARD EXTENSION, Aisne, France. Plot I. Row D. Grave 1A.

Extract from THE BOND OF SACRIFICE - VOLUME 1 August to December 1914:

LIEUTENANT ARTHUR HENNIS PERROTT, ADJUTANT 1st BATTN. PRINCESS CHARLOTTE OF WALES'S (ROYAL BERKSHIRE REGIMENT), was the son of Major-General Sir T. Perrott, K.C.B ., and was born on the 13th June, 1885. He was educated at Windlesham House and Wellington, where he was in the Hill from 1899 to 1903, in which latter year he got his cap. After a year at the R.M.C., Sandhurst, he was gazetted to the Royal Berkshire Regiment in August, 1905, becoming Lieutenant in July, 1909.
From April, 1909, to June, 1910, he was A.D.C. to the General Officer Commanding the Straits Settlements, and was appointed Adjutant of his battalion in February, 1913.
Lieutenant Perrott accompanied his battalion to France in August, and was killed in action on the 10th September, 1914, near Gengoulph, when the battalion was acting as vanguard to the IInd Division after crossing the Marne. He was buried in the churchyard at Hautesvesnes, prov. Aisne.
He was a member of the Junior United Service Club, and was a good sportsman.

SECOND WORLD WAR
1939-1945

Major 126502, 8th Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Died 5th October 1943. Aged 25. Son of John and Mary Anne McNicol McKellar Anderson; husband of Moira Anderson, of Chessington, Surrey. B.A. Hons. (Cantab.). Awarded the Victoria Cross (V.C.) and thr Distinguished Service order (D.S.O.). Buried in SANGRO RIVER WAR CEMETERY, Italy. Plot VIII. Row A. Grave 44.

Extract from London Gazette 29th June 1943:

During the attack on Longstop Hill, Tunisia, on 23rd April, 1943, Major Anderson, as leading Company Commander, led the assault on the battalion's first objective. Very heavy casualties were incurred, including the Commanding Officer killed and all other Company Commanders killed or wounded. Major Anderson re-organised the battalion, led the assault on the second objective, and, despite a leg wound, captured Longstop Hill with a total force of only four officers and less than forty other ranks. He personally led attacks on at least three enemy machine-gun positions and in every case was the first man in the enemy gun-pits. It is largely due to this officer's bravery and daring that Longstop Hill was captured, and it was the inspiration of his example that encouraged leaderless men to continue the advance.

Sergeant (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner) 1332233, 408 (R.C.A.F.) Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Died 30th March 1943. Aged 21. Son of Henry and Annie Cherry, of Bagshot, Surrey. Buried in KIEL WAR CEMETERY, Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Plot 4. Row A. Grave 19.

Note: 408 Squadron was based at RAF Leeming in 1943, flying Handley Page Halifax B.II and B.V bombers.

Flying Officer (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner) 128613, 218 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Died 25th June 943. Buried in RHEINBERG WAR CEMETERY, Kamp Lintfort, Nordrhein-Westfal, Germany. Plot 9. Row F. Collective grave 13-16.

Note: No. 218 Squadron flew to France on 2nd September 1939, and made valuable reconnaissance flights and leaflet raids in Battle aircraft in the early days of the war. In June 1940, after having hindered the German advance into France by bombing the enemy's lines of communications and troop concentrations (and having suffered heavy casualties in the process) it was evacuated to England to be re-equipped with Bristol Blenheim medium-range bombers. Five months later, when it was equipped with Wellington long-range aircraft, it became a heavy-bomber squadron. Its targets were of the widest variety - from industrial centres, railways, Noball (V-weapon) sites and gun batteries, to the Channel ports, oil and petrol installations, and concentrations of troops and armour. The squadron was re-equipped with Stirling four-engined bombers (the first of the real "heavies") beginning in December 1941 - three months after His Excellency the Governor of the Gold Coast and the peoples of the Gold Coast territories officially adopted the squadron - and the Stirlings were, in turn, replaced by Lancasters in the summer of 1944.

Immediately before the German capitulation in May 1945, when the heavy bombers' offensive ceased, the Gold Coast squadron dropped food supplies to the starving Dutch people, and subsequently its aircraft were busily employed ferrying liberated POWs to England from the Continent.

Wireman O/MX 68015, H.M.S. Dunedin, Royal Navy. Died 24th November 1941. Aged 21. Son of William and Mary A. S. Herridge, of Bagshot, Surrey. No known grave. Commemorated on PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL, Hampshire. Panel 57, Column 1.

Note: HMS Dunedin (Capt. Richard Stratford Lovatt, RN) was sunk at 1526 hours on 24 November 1941 in the Central Atlantic east of St. Paul's Rocks, north east of Recife, Brazil in position 03º00'S, 26º00'W by 2 torpedoes from the German submarine U-124. Only 4 officers and 63 men survived out of a crew of 486 officers and men. There is a web site dedicated to HMS Dunedin.

Sergeant (Air Gunner) 615462, 7 Squadron, Royal Air Force. Died 29th July 1942. Buried in SAGE WAR CEMETERY, Oldenburg, Niedersachsen, Germany. Plot 3. Row A. Grave 7.

Note: When the Second World War broke out the squadron was at Doncaster and engaged in training crews to operational standard for No.5 Group. It moved back to Finningley and then to Upper Heyford (No.6 Training Group) during the third and fourth weeks of September 1939, and in April, 1940, lost its identity when it was absorbed into No.16 OTU. It re-formed at Finningley at the end of April - again as a Hampden bomber squadron - but was disbanded three weeks later.

Re-formed again in August 1940, at Leeming, No.7 became the first squadron in Bomber Command to have four-engined bombers, and by early 1941 had moved to Oakington and was ready to begin operations with its new Short Stirlings. On the night of 10/11th February 1941, No.7 made its first bombing attack with the Stirlings - on oil storage tanks at Rotterdam - and just over two months later paid its first visit to Berlin. Among other early targets were Brest, Rotterdam, Emden (this was the target when the squadron made its first daylight raid, on 28th April), Hamburg and Mannheim. In 1942 minelaying was added to the squadron's duties and in May and June its Stirlings took part in the 1,000-bomber raids on Cologne, Essen and Bremen. Later that year it was one of the five squadrons selected to form the nucleus of the Pathfinder Force.

In May 1943, Lancasters began to replace the Stirlings, and in August seventeen of the squadron's new aircraft took part in the famous raid on Peenemunde. For the remainder of that year and the early part of 1944 night attacks on Germany continued, but with the approach of the Allied invasion, France became the main target area. During the early stages of the liberation campaign a number of daylight attacks were made on German troop positions.

There is a website for the 7 Squadron Association